Search form

TRENDING:

FEATURED:

Lawmakers aim to use spending bill to block offshore drilling

House lawmakers in both parties are hoping to use a spending bill to block offshore oil and natural gas drilling in the waterways off their states’ coasts.

A handful of lawmakers, mainly from coastal states, are sponsoring proposed amendments to the annual appropriations bill for the Interior Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that would block Interior funding to allow drilling in particular areas.

The full House is set to vote on the funding measure this week.

ADVERTISEMENT

The amendments match with the bipartisan opposition in many coastal states to the Trump administration’s controversial January proposal to allow oil and gas drilling along nearly the entirety of the United States’ coasts, including the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the Gulf of Mexico and all around Alaska.

In his own statement, Reichert said he's "deeply concerned" about Trump's proposal for Pacific coast drilling.

"Drilling off our coasts has the potential to have a negative lasting effect on our oceans and shorelines," he said. "Our country is at the forefront of developing efficient and cost effective alternative energy technologies and we should continue to support innovation in this area."

"Reckless proposals to expand offshore oil drilling — opposed by elected officials in both parties throughout Florida — would threaten our state’s coasts and jeopardize the lifeblood of our Florida’s tourism economy. Extending the moratorium on offshore drilling off of Florida’s Gulf coast, and holding oil companies more accountable for their actions, is urgently needed.”

Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) is leading 15 Democrats from along the entire Atlantic coast with a measure that would block all drilling leases anywhere in the Atlantic.